Author Archives: Anne

Posted on July 17, 2008 by Anne| 4 Comments

Japan: Otaru, Hokkaido

I am finally back with another Japan entry. Boy- I really am disappointed that I haven’t been able to blog lately and it’s always gnawing at the back of my mind that poor Tuna Toast is growing moldy. Thanks to the Brangelina twins’ arrival, a home remodeling project and a lot of changes at work, my life has been quite hectic lately. I’m hoping to get back on the blogging bandwagon soon!

So, as with the previous post, I would like to post a series of photos with little captions to give you a photo essay of our trip to Otaru, near Sapporo, in Hokkaido. Otaru is a port town very popular with tourists, and although we normally avoid those types of places we couldn’t travel too far due to J’s ankle injury and it was an easy train ride from our hotel in Sapporo. We actually enjoyed it quite a bit- it was a lovely day, the ocean smelled wonderful and it wasn’t too crowded. Of course there were the usual touristy restaurants and shops but overall it was a great experience and completely different from anywhere I’d been during my seven years living in Tokyo.

The 35 minute train ride from Sapporo was very scenic – with the last 10 or so minutes being right on the coast:

We arrived at Otaru station and one of the first things I noticed were these beautiful glass lanterns:

Otaru is known for their glassmaking. With the decline of the herring fishing industry in the 1950’s, the makers of glass buoys decided to get into the fine glassware business. There were many glass shops and even a place where tourists can make their own glass:

Another famous landmark in Otaru is the Kitakaro sweets shop. J and I walked in and were happy to see that many of their yummy confections available to sample, and sample we did! Kitakaro is best known for their version of Baumkuchen, a German cake made of many layers, or rings.

Kitakaro store

Also known as “The King of Cakes,” Baumkuchen, literally translated means “tree cake” and is sweet, moist and delicious with tea. You can see the pre-cut Baumkuchen here:

We also had a soft-serve ice cream cone since Hokkaido is famous for their fresh dairy products. A lot of sweets come in milk flavor, unlike the States where vanilla is the predominate ice cream of choice. The freshness of Hokkaido cream doesn’t need to be masked by any flavorings and the soft serve was so good that J and I ate it before I could even whip out my camera!

Although we didn’t stop to sit and eat a meal during our day trip, we sampled enough food to keep our tummies really happy. There we many seafood markets offering freshly grilled scallops topped with a dollop of fresh, Hokkaido butter (YUM) and a splash of sake:

We also walked into a few small historical stores like one that sells konbu, or dried seaweed, and sampled some konbu tea while looking at their vintage housewares:

….and then bumped into what seemed to be a tiny museum filled with old knives, typewriters, magazines and other tools:

After we were finished window shopping we walked off of the main shopping street toward the famous canals. Though the canals used to be bustling with small ships that had to unload the larger ships coming into the harbor, modern facilities made them obsolete and they’ve since been restored and have become one of the city’s biggest tourist attractions.

We saw a few more things, including this cool sake shop where, of course, they let us sample some of their goods. The old, wooden floorboard creaked beneath our feet as we walked through and looked at the gorgeous bottles covering the shelves:

J and I really enjoyed our time in Otaru and were glad that we decided, in spite of J’s twisted ankle, to make a go at it. It really is a beautiful little town and I’d recommend it for a half-day trip if you ever find yourself in Sapporo. Definitely go hungry- with almost all of the shops offering samples of their food, it’s easy to feel satisfied even if you don’t stop for a sitdown meal. In addition to the cake, scallops and sake we tried some amazing Darjeeling tea chocolates- J loved them so much that we walked by each of their three locations (all on the same street!) and got samples at each. Unfortunately they had to be refrigirated so we couldn’t bring any home, but they were absolutely divine and unlike any chocolates we’d ever eaten.

More Japan reports to come, I promise!

Otaru – More Info

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Posted in Hokkaido, Japan, Otaru, Sapporo

Posted on June 25, 2008 by Anne| 7 Comments

Japan: Photo roundup #1

Here is the first roundup of our Japan trip from a couple of weeks ago. We visited Sapporo, Otaru, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo. Although the trip was busy and we ran into a few stumbling blocks, Japan is and will always be one of my favorite places on earth and we did have a lot of fun.

1) Hot NUTS! It was my first time on business class and, being the dorky type, I was almost as excited for the flight as I was for the vacation in Japan. When the United flight attendant served me a bowl of fresh, warm nuts the minute my butt hit the seat, I was pretty much on my way to a great flight. I’m sure those of you who fly business all the time are yawning at this little tidbit, but I was as giddy as a kid in a candy store. Crunchy, salty and toasty nuts in five different varieties, plus a glass of champagne? At that moment I wished the 11 hour flight was 18 hours. *sigh*

2) Fresh fruit and yogurt. “Is this a post about JAPAN or United business class?” you’re probably wondering. I promise, last photo (at least in this post) of airplane food but C’MON!!!Doesn’t the deep color of those blueberries make you want to chomp your monitor right now? Again, dorkface me was utterly impressed. Woo hoo!

3) Yosakoi Soran Festival. J and I were wandering the streets of Sapporo when we thought we heard takio drums in the distance. As we walked toward the sound, we started noticing more and more people and then we pretty much ran smack into this festival which is the fusion of the Yosakoi Festival of Kochi and traditional soran folk music of Hokkaido. Tons of people danced and clapped to taiko-like beats, and we could tell that there were numerous teams, each sporting their own colorful uniforms. We found out that we were there on the second of three days, and a taxi driver informed me that on the third and final day, a winning team is announced and the whole thing is “crazy.”

4) Crab at Nijo Market in Sapporo, Hokkaido. I know I had some photos of live ones in my last post, but are they not impressive?

5) Ahhh, Engrish. This is one of the best examples I’ve ever seen. Although it’s funny at first look, it’s actually quite deep if you think about it. I mean, who wants to be treated like that? I’d surely be crying if it was me.

6) Hip girl in shotengai (shopping street) in Sapporo. Fashion in Japan never fails to amaze me. You can wear pretty much whatever you like and no one even blinks an eye…..it’s just a form of personal expression and the majority of Japanese seem to completely accept that, which I think is fantastic!

More to come………..

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Posted in Japan, Sapporo

Posted on June 20, 2008 by Anne| 5 Comments

Restaurant Review: Picchu, Sapporo, Japan
The Meaning Of Restraint

I am back from my Japan trip, and it was a trip, to say the least. I’ll leave out the gory details but J ended up with a badly twisted ankle on the second day of our vacation; I decided to sprain my foot a few days after. Toss in a visit with the police (did not involve me personally but I had to play interpreter at 5:00 AM) and an earthquake which scared the living daylights out of me (I was in my high rise hotel room) and you’ve pretty much figured out that this wasn’t exactly the trip of a lifetime. However, a wacky Japan experience is better than no Japan experience, so I’ll spend the next couple of posts relaying the highlights of our trip.

One our very first day in Sapporo, we strolled around Nijo Market, famous for their bounty of locally caught seafood. We gawked over some of the biggest crabs I’d ever seen, piles of whole salmon and an array of a conch-like shellfish stuck to sides of large tanks. Almost all of the shops had lots of other local specialties like dried squid with squid ink, crab miso and even canned seal (please do not write me emails about this- I am simply making an observation!). One of the fish mongers offered to crack open a live uni (sea urchin) for us to eat and I was giddy since I’d always seen this on TV but had never tasted fresh-from-the-shell uni before. O M G- it was fresh, slightly briny and totally rich and J loved it as much as I did.

As we were walking around, J spied a teeny tiny restaurant with a sign that read “Picchu.” We peered inside to see that, at 2:00 PM, it was closed but gathered from the display of good olive oils and balsamic vinegars on the counter that it was an Italian restaurant. There was something so compelling about the bar-only restaurant that, even though it was our first day in Japan, we tossed our plans to eat sushi aside and vowed to come back for dinner.

On the way back to the hotel I picked up a few interesting food items to bring back to my friends. Sapporo is known for their food, particularly seafood, dairy, corn, ramen and potatoes. Each little shop carried the most unusual snacks showcasing these famous foods and I couldn’t resist. I bought four different flavors of caramels- corn, milk, potato and shio-ramen and decided that the corn and milk work, the other two definitely do not.

We returned to Picchu at around 7:00 PM and found the 10-seater bar half full. Since the space was so small, it was quite warm but once we opened an additional window it was quite comfortable. There was one lone chef- I’d say mid-30’s- working behind the bar in plain sight of all the customers. One very capable and polite waiter was the only other employee so he doubled as a dish washer as well between orders. We spied the specials written on a chalk board but since my Japanese reading ability is mediocre at best, we simply asked the chef to give us a tasting menu of what he recommended that highlighted the local ingredients. J went over the extremely reasonably-priced wine list and selected a bottle of Prosecco to start, then a half bottle of a red from Montepulciano.

The chef worked very steadily but calmly, and in no time we were both handed a plate with a small fish that the chef described as a tiny salmon. It was in a light broth and slightly grilled, very tender and extremely delicious. Topped with a thin slice of marinated konbu (seaweed) and a dollop of caper relish, it was the perfect compliment to our sparking wine. J and I knew at that point we were in for a treat.

The next course was a piece of homemade crab sausage made almost entirely of pure crabmeat. It, too, was lightly grilled and placed in a reduction so tasty that I almost picked up the bowl and drank every last drop. It was just so pure and beautiful in it’s simplicity and we both knew the chef was there to showcase the ingredient, which is did better than anyone I’d seen do in a long time.

I was very happy when a plate of spaghetti was the next course, since I’d been hoping for some pasta. The noodles were tossed with some good olive oil, salt & pepper and was peppered with chunks of local conch and edamame. The slight crunch of the conch came through and was mellowed by the sweet soy beans.

What came next was another dish I’d seen here and there but never eaten- uni risotto. You can only imagine how good his version, using the best local uni, tasted and I wanted to make sure to savor every last bite. This was a “wow” dish, and once again it was simple, beautiful and not overly rich.

The first of two main courses was a braised lamb, wrapped in caul fat and perched on a bed of dark green mashed local potatoes. Tender doesn’t even describe the softness of this meat that still somehow retained its meatiness. The basil-infused mashed potatoes were so fresh with herb flavor that I only wished I had more. I know, I’m gushing at this point but every single bite of every single plate to this point was so profound that we just sat there and ate in silence. I can still taste the basil in those potatoes they were so prominent yet completely melted with the flavor of the lamb.

Think it doesn’t get any better? Feast your eyes on this plate of local wagyu beef sitting in a garlic and potato puree and topped with watercress. Yes, it was as good as it looks if not even better and we both agreed that this was the absolute best thing of a fantastic meal. It was juicy and tender and everything I’d hoped real wagyu beef would taste like.

At this point one word kept popping into my head that explained clearly what this chef was all about- he was an expert in restraint. Nothing was over-sauced, over-garnished, over-thought or over-produced. It wasn’t even over-plated……..the places in which he held back made each dish perfect. Talk about an exact opposite experience of the one I had at Tojo’s in Vancouver. This chef was quiet in his perfection but modestly so- he wasn’t standoffish and answered questions we had but focused on the food and let it speak for itself. I mean, isn’t this what every food loving person in the world HOPES and dreams they will experience? The fact that we stumbled upon this nondescript place that ended up being one of the best meals we’d ever eaten made it even better. I mean, who would have known that such a small restaurant in the back alley of a fish market would be the location of what was most definitely one of the more profound dining experiences of my life eating Italian food in Sapporo?? Mind boggling, isn’t it? When I asked the chef if he’d been to Italy, he answered “No….but hopefully one day I will get the chance.” I swear it made me want to run to the local travel agent and buy the guy a ticket- I mean, if he is THIS good already could you image the insanity he would create after his maiden voyage to the country to which he pays such wonderful tribute to through his cooking?

The cost of this near-perfect, six course meal? A mere 5000 yen each for food. That’s just under $50 each. It’s almost a crime to eat all of the above and pay just that, don’t you think?

Even though a bunch of weird things happened on this trip, our experience at Picchu made the entire trip worthwhile. There isn’t a shred of this restaurant on Google or anywhere online that I could find, and I don’t have the business card on me but once J gets back from his tour I’ll post the address.

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Posted in Italian restaurants in Sapporo, Japanese cooking, Picchu, sapporo restaurants

Posted on June 4, 2008 by Anne| 3 Comments

Off to Japan for two weeks!

I am off to Japan for a two week vacation and I’m sure I will return with lots of delicious stories and photos to share with you.

We’ll be visiting Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya and Tokyo so I see lots of sushi, sake, tuna toast (of course!) and tempura in our future.

Mata ne!

TAG

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Posted in Uncategorized

Posted on May 29, 2008 by Anne| 3 Comments

Vancouver: Japa Dog & Tojo’s: No Reservations Revisited

I adore Anthony Bourdain. I’ve been a longtime fan of his, from Cook’s Tour to No Reservations to his frequent appearances as a guest judge on Top Chef. The guy is smart, insightful, bold and, most of all, honest. He’s given me some of the best television moments I have ever witnessed- I practically cried at his personal joy at going back to his childhood home in France with his brother, and couldn’t believe it when he spent hours in a stinky, sweltering bat-poo-filled cave in Jamaica. I love that he loves Japan and have watched his Osaka episode of No Reservations 10 times. The look of sheer ecstasy he had on his face after eating at Koyoshi Sushi is one of the main reasons I plan to hit the sushi bar next week when I’m in Japan.

So, imagine my surprise when I unintentionally found myself living out Bourdain’s Vancouver No Reservations episode. I went last week to catch a few off days with J who is on the road, and I didn’t have my normal list of restaurants handy since we weren’t going to be there long and I wanted to be spontaneous. After checking into the hotel, we decided to take a walk and what should appear right in front of the entrance but the infamous “Japa Dog” cart that was on the Vancouver episode?! Nari, one of Bourdain’s producers, had introduced him to this wonderful world of Japanese-style hotdogs that drew long lines daily. It looked the same, the food smelled terrific and, just like Nari said, there were people lined up at all times of the two days we were there.

Japa Dog offers several kinds of Japanese-style dogs. First, you can choose what kind of dog you want, and in addition to your normal beef dogs they have tofu, turkey and even kurobuta (black hog) dogs. Toppings include nori (dried seaweed), wasabi mayo, teriyaki sauce, daikon and other “perkily perfect” options. We ordered one “miso mayo” dog which is a turkey dog topped with daikon sprouts, miso-sesame sauce, Japanese mayo and miso. Like Bourdain, we loved it and only wished we had ordered one each instead of sharing one.

For dinner, J got tied up with work so my friend Jesse and I decided to go to dinner. He had his heart set on a place called Tojo’s which I hadn’t ever heard of (or so I thought) so I did a little googling and the comments I found were not positive. People across the board made comments about how it was a rip off, not worth the price, good but insanely expensive, etc etc. One commenter in particular was livid and (referring to the restaurant’s website which features a photo of Tojo laughing), “See Tojo laughing on the webpage? He’s laughing at YOU.” So I was worried, mentioned this to Jesse but he had tried Tojo’s food which was catered in the past at some event and had loved it. So I called the restaurant, asked if there was room at the sushi bar and was told yes, come in, but that the bar is omakase (chef’s choice) only. When I asked for a ballpark price, it was much higher than I’m used to spending, but we decided we’d go for it anyway.

We arrived to a half-empty restaurant at 8:00 PM on a Saturday night. The host was friendly and lively, expressed his surprise at my Japanese (it seems a lot of people don’t see any Japanese in me, even though I am half) and took us straight to the bar where we were greeted by a smiley sushi chef who looked very familiar. He welcomed us, and as he was speaking I kept trying to put my finger on where or when I’d seen this person. After another five minutes or so, it came to me- this was Tojo, owner and chef and Bourdain’s good friend who also appeared on the same No Reservations episode as Japa Dog! In fact, Bourdain probably sat in the exact seat that I was in, and once I realized and recalled the fabulous food he’d been served, I was excited to be there.

Tojo started off by telling us that he would prepare us food we’ve never had before- amazing, different things that would surprise us. “Bring it on!” we thought, as we ordered some cold sake and settled into our seats. First up- chunks of tuna dressed with a ponzu sauce swimming in grated yamaimo (mountain potato) and topped with fresh uni. Delicious, fresh, subtle. Similar to dishes I’ve had but a fantastic version. The next dish would definitely count as something neither Jesse nor I had ever experienced before- morel mushrooms that size of golf balls, stuffed with a mixture of shrimp and scallops, flash fried and topped with a sauce. First of all, I’d never seen morels so large in my life- the ones here, if and when you can get fresh ones, are tiny in comparison. They were slightly crispy on the outside and the tender filling was the perfect foil.

Things just got better with a bowl of barely-cooked, thinly sliced octopus. Minus one suction cup at the very top, the slices were smooth and clean so it was hard to tell that it was octopus at all. Each piece was super tender and lightly dressed so the flavor of the seafood really came through. We were pretty happy at this point, but oddly getting kind of full.

Here’s where things started to go downhill, at least for me. No, the quality of the food didn’t fade (save for one soy-paper roll that was just inedibly soggy- we left it). Our sushi was all fresh, the toro was the best I’d ever had, the sweet shrimp succulent and tender. The problem was Tojo. Smiling, beaming Tojo. What could I possibly have against this sushi master? Here it is- his constant banter about what a sushi master he truly is. Between each course he couldn’t help but mention how people travel from far and wide to eat his food. Oh yes, he was on “No Reservations” of course. Isn’t this the best (fill in the blank) you’ve ever eaten? “Tojo’s food is the best! Tojo creates dishes like no other!” Look- I can appreciate when people have pride in their work, but this was too much. I started to feel obligated to give some over-the-top reaction and roll my eyes back in ecstasy every time I took a bite of something.

The real bummer came with this story that he not only told in detail but actually kind of acted out. He told us about one of his regular customers who was recently diagnosed with cancer. The customer called Tojo and said he wanted to eat his last meal at Tojo’s, so of course Tojo complied. Tojo then looks at me and Jesse, pretends to be this dying guy and motions with his hand like he’s picking up a piece of sushi, slowly brings it to his lips, puts this pretend sushi in his mouth, closes his eyes, sighs, then says “I can now die a happy man.” He then followed with “A LOT of people want to eat their last meal at Tojo’s.”

For the love of God, if someone is THAT good at what they do, is there any need to constantly run around telling everyone? It didn’t bother Jesse as much, but being Japanese I was stunned to witness such bravado from a fellow countryman. The melodramatic reenactment of this man’s last meal was enough to make that one meal at Tojo’s MY last meal there as well. I mean, what would Bourdain say? I guess I’d like to hope that he have a sarcastic comment up his sleeve for this sort of behavior but then again he’d probably tell a no name blogger (aka ME) that everyone has their quirks and the guy can cook so who cares?

For the record, the meal was the most expensive I’ve ever had at any restaurant- sushi or otherwise- other than Urasawa. No joke. Yes, the food was good, but certainly not worth the price. Nor the commentary.

Japa Dog Stand
In front of Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver
845 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K6, Canada

Tojo’s Restuarant
1133 W Broadway, Vancouver
Tel: 604-872-8050
Fax: 604-872-8060

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Posted in Anthony Bourdain, Japa Dog, No Reservations, Tojo's, Vancouver restaurants

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Anne| 5 Comments

101 Cookbook’s Corn Quiche in a Teff Crust

I’d wanted to make this dish ever since I saw it on 101 Cookbooks awhile back- something about the deep, brown crust just really reached out and grabbed me. I’m glad I finally got around to it and I certainly won’t let too much time pass before making it again.

As some of you know by now, I hate rolling out dough and am always thrilled to find one that is easy to manage. This dough comes together with just a quick whiz in the food processor and really stays together nicely through the rolling and pressing-into-the-pan process. It also has the huge benefit of actually being healthy- the entire recipe contains only 4 tablespoons of butter and is enriched with teff flour which is high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber.

Heidi’s recipe lets you choose to use soy milk or regular milk for the filling, so I decided to try it with soy milk just to see how it’d turn out. I just blended together some raw corn cut straight off about four cobs, the soy milk, Tabasco, 4 eggs and salt until it make a smooth puree, then added some grated light Jarlsberg cheese, chopped fresh basil and chopped scallions. After decorating the top with some sliced tomatoes and a bit more cheese, I popped it in the oven.

Ready for the oven

The resulting “quiche” was super light and fluffy- almost cloud-like- and the crust was slightly sweet and nutty. I really, REALLY loved the flavor of this crust and am eager to try it with other fillings, both sweet and savory. The filling tasted like a sweet corn chowder and the sweet tomatoes and basil were the perfect additions. The only changes I would make are to not sprinkle cheese on top since it creates a crust that is difficult to cut through since the soy milk makes the quiche so ultra fluffy that it kind of squishes down when you cut (or I guess I could sharpen my knives, duh!) and I may add a bit more texture by mixing in some steamed broccoli or something in the filling next time. My dough also required about double the amount of water called for in the recipe before it came together in a ball in the food processor.

This makes a fantastic breakfast, brunch or even dinner. We had it with some “caramelized” zucchini (just take VERY thinly sliced zucchini and toss it in a very hot pan with a bit of butter until the zucchini turns golden brown) and a salad made with frisee and blood orange segments.

I’d like to add that, in addition to her wonderful website, Heidi has a cookbook out called Super Natural Cooking that is just filled with creative and unique healthy recipes.

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Posted in 101 Cookbooks, Egg dishes, healthy cooking, Super Natural Cooking, Vegetarian cooking

Posted on May 2, 2008 by Anne| 1 Comment

Recipe: BBQ Tofu Wrap

Look, ma, more fun with tofu! Ok, this “recipe” isn’t really a recipe and may come as a surprise since I just stated in my last post that I feel tofu works best with Asian flavors, but this one is an exception! I had some tofu leftover from my soba noodle salad recipe so the next day I just tossed together this wrap which will definitely be on my regular menu for quick and easy dinners from now on.

As I did with the tofu in the salad recipe, I weighted down the loaf with some thick paper towels and got a lot of the water out. I then tossed it in some of my favorite BBQ sauce and just pan fried them until they were heated through. It was then time to build the wrap:

I got one Whole Wheat Olive Oil Wrap from Trader Joe’s and filled it with greens and corn cut straight off a steamed cob:

Then added the BBQ’d tofu slices, fresh ripe avocado, sliced red onions and chopped cilantro:

Then rolled it into a nice little wrap……….

…..which I served up with a mixed green salad. And dinner was done!

Happy Friday!

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Posted in healthy cooking, tofu recipes, Vegetarian cooking

Posted on April 29, 2008 by Anne| 1 Comment

Recipe: Soba Noodle Salad With Tofu

Tofu. A lot of people think of “big cube of bland whiteness” when they hear that word. I, on the other hand, grew up eating tofu and never thought negatively about it until I realized how the poor loaf has been butchered into some pretty insane and tasteless creations in order to fill some hole in the healthy food world. Although it certainly makes a good, high-protein substitute in one’s diet for chicken or fish, it doesn’t always mean tofu will be good when used in the same way that meat or fish is used. It’s got a completely different makeup, texture and flavor than any meat or fish so it should be treated like the unique ingredient it is.

I have to admit, tofu does make a pretty great substitute for eggs. When mashed with a fork and sautéed with veggies, salsa and spices, the texture comes close to that of scrambled eggs. However, just because you miss a juicy burger doesn’t mean that forming mashed tofu into a patty and throwing it on a grill will make you kiss beef goodbye. Tofu is a great added to dishes that need some neutral tasting protein kick and works best, in my humble opinion, with Asian flavors.

Here’s a simple recipe for a refreshing summer noodle salad that is a perfect vehicle for seared tofu. Although chicken or beef would work fine in this dish, the softer texture of tofu marries especially well with the slightly al dente-ness of the soba noodles.

Enjoy!

Soba noodle salad w/ tofu

Whenever you’re cooking tofu, try to get the water out of it by putting it in between two thick layers of paper towels, then setting a plate on top of the top layer of paper towels. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and it will drain a lot of the water out.

½ pack of extra firm tofu

1 package dried soba (buckwheat) noodles

1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
½ cup diced scallions
¼ cup chopped cilantro

4 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS toasted sesame oil
2 TBS grated fresh ginger
2 TBS honey
2 tsp sambal oelek (chili paste)
1 TBS rice wine vinegar

Sesame seeds

Take tofu out of the pack and drain between two thick layers of paper towels for 20 minutes.

Put the tofu in your hand, and cut the tofu while holding it very carefully (so you don’t cut yourself). This is the traditional way to cut tofu- Japanese don’t put it on a cutting board because tofu is so absorbent. If you are careful you should be able to do this easily, and tofu is very soft so it doesn’t require a lot of pressure. Cut into rectangles about 2 inches long and ½ inch thick. Sear tofu for about 3 minutes on each side in a hot, non-stick skillet. Set aside.

Mix all of the ingredients of the dressing in a blender or a jar- blend well. Set aside.

Cook the soba noodles in boiling water for 4 minutes, then remove from the heat and shock in cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large bowl combine the noodles with the vegetables and dressing, toss well, top with tofu and sesame seeds. Serve cold or room temperature.

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Posted in Asian recipes, healthy cooking, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes

Posted on April 22, 2008 by Anne| 2 Comments

Recipe: Farro, Black Bean & Corn Salad

Lately, I look at the bookshelf in the kitchen just heaving with cookbooks and I feel a bit, well, guilty. After all, up until a few short months ago I was a bona fide cookbook addict. When I wasn’t reading one of the 100 or so that I have, I’d be surfing through Amazon looking for the next fix or printing out recipes from Epicurious and stuffing it into my “homemade” cookbook – AKA The Overstuffed Folder. There was never a Sunday morning spent without one cookbook in hand while three others were piled in front of me on the coffee table, waiting for me to take a look. It was a good relationship we had, the cookbooks and I, although I might have been a little dependent.

It’s odd now- I cook a lot but haven’t used a recipe in months. If I have thumbed through a cookbook recently it was merely to gain inspiration, not to follow any recipe word for word. The deciding factor in terms of what I will cook is one question- “What do I want to eat?” Seems simple, but for those of you who are recipe lovers like me, you’ll understand that sometimes the challenge and technique of a new recipe is the biggest motivator in what you make. I did that for so long and believe me- it resulted in plenty of delicious and beautiful meals- but I’m in this phase of just listening to my senses, collecting all of the knowledge that is floating around in my brain and then combining it all into a dish that is exactly what I want to consume at that particular moment.

Last week, after a tequila-and-wine-fueled trip to Mexico- I wanted to have a big batch of something hearty but healthy to take for lunch each day. So I decided to whip up a batch farro, black bean and corn salad. Farro (type of wheat, also called emmer) has become one of my favorite grains over the last year and is great in so many dishes. It’s becoming more readily available in supermarkets but can almost always be found at any Italian market. I love the toothsome bite it retains after cooking and its slightly nutty but generally neutral flavor is very versatile. In the cooler months I like to toss it with sautéed mushrooms, thyme and baked butternut squash, but now that it’s warmer it’s the base of many great cold salads. This farro, black bean and corn salad is the perfect example of a recipe borne from what my body and taste buds were craving at the moment it was conceived, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Farro, Black Bean & Corn Salad

(The key to flavoring any salad using farro is to bathe the still-hot farro with whatever dressing you’re using so it really soaks up the flavors. In this instance I made a cilantro vinaigrette but you can use whatever dressing you prefer (creamy dressings probably won’t be as good) as long as you make sure you coat the farro grains while they are still warm).

Salad

1 ½ cups farro, rinsed
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock (I used Wolfgang Puck Vegetable Stock because it was on sale!)
2 ears sweet corn
1 can black beans, rinsed clean
2 red bell peppers
4 green onions

Cilantro vinaigrette

1 large handful of cilantro (about 1 cup packed). Stems and all are fine.
1 medium jalapeno pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
3 TBS red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
3- 4 TBS good extra virgin olive oil

Make the vinaigrette first: With tongs, hold the jalapeno directly over the flame on your stovetop or gas grill to blacken it all over. Cut the stem off, cut in a few pieces and pop into a food processor or blender. Add all of the other vinaigrette ingredients except for olive oil and pulse until relatively smooth. While the food processor or blender is running, slowly add the olive oil in a stream until it reaches a slightly-thicker-than-salad-dressing consistency. Season with salt & pepper to taste and set aside.

Bring vegetable or chicken stock to a boil, add the farro. Boil on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes- just check the consistency of a farro grain- you want it to be “al dente” so to speak. The farro probably won’t soak up all of the stock so if it doesn’t, simply drain it in a colander. Put drained farro in a large bowl and immediately toss with about ¾ of the vinaigrette. Mix well and set aside.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add corn. Boil for about 3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until corn is cold. Cut the kernels off by standing one ear of corn up at a slight angle and cutting down each side of the corn. A lot of it will come of in chunks but you can crumble it up into kernels with your fingers. I like to leave a few of them chunky so it looks more homemade. Add to the bowl of farro.

Rinse the beans in a colander under cold running water until clean, add to farro bowl.

Chop the red pepper into fine dice and the green pepper crosswise into thin circles, add both to farro bowl.

Toss in remaining vinaigrette and mix all ingredients together. Serve cold or at room temperature.

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Posted in farro recipes, healthy dining, vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes

Posted on April 18, 2008 by Anne| 1 Comment

Mexico City #2: Mercado de la Merced

On my final day in Distrito Federal we visited the massive Mercado de la Merced. It is one of the largest markets in Mexico and covers an entire city block. We took the subway to Merced station and you can take the exit directly into the market itself.

The sheer volume of food and goods was overwhelming at first- my eyes just kept darting from left to right trying to take in all of the colors, smells, sounds, people…..it was incredible! The fruit stands showcased tons of mangoes and papayas that just permeated the air with a tart, tropical scent that made me want to pluck one up and take a bite. There were piles of different kinds of mole and stacks of dried chiles next to stands selling shoes and purses. Well-priced denim skirts hung directly over the delicious-smelling smoke rising from carne asada being tossed on hot cast iron grills and there was a constant stream of people navigating their way through all of this lively activity. It was awesome.

Instead of trying to explain it any further, I’ll just treat you to a bunch of photos I snapped while making my way through the Mercado de la Merced. If you’re even in Mexico City I highly recommend you take a few hours to join the parade of people shopping in the market.